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Here are the details of my current dispute with DCBL, acting on behalf of their client Miele. While I understand DCBL are not interested in the reason for my dispute with Miele, I have provided details of the dispute to explain why I am refusing to pay 100% of the outstanding debt DCBL have been charged with recovering. The original amount of the debt owed to Miele was £170 and it has now increased to £260 (I do not know the exact breakdown of how Miele and DCBL arrived at this figure).
Dispute Timeline
7 Feb: Paid Miele £279 (using Amex) for Fixed Price Repair package
20 Feb: Miele technician came to repair my fridge/ freezer. Because technician spent 1 hour, I was entitled to a refund of £109. Technician deemed fridge/ freezer repair economically unviable and recommended purchasing a new fridge/ freezer.
20 & 22 Feb: Rang Miele's customer service number. I was informed refund would be processed in a few weeks.
22 Feb: Concerned refund would take longer than a few weeks I requested credit card chargeback (of £279) which was processed immediately. Amex customer service rep informed me that once I have received £109 credit from Miele, £279 chargeback would then be reversed, after which point Miele would be ‘paid’ for services rendered.
20 Feb - 4 June: I rang Miele a total of 10 times, spoke to 10 different customer service reps and spent over 3 hrs on the phone/ hold enquiring about my refund but no one seemed to know how to manage my request. Responses ranged from: my request has been noted in the system, my refund would take a few more weeks, someone will call me back.
6 June: Miele emails outstanding invoice of £170.
June-July: I corresponded with Miele’s Customer Service Dept requesting a discount on the outstanding invoice (as a gesture of goodwill) to which the response was ‘no’.
14 Aug: I received a final demand/ notice of default from Miele in the amount of £170.
30 Sept: I received a debt recovery notice form DCBL on behalf of Miele in the amount of £260 (£90 more than the original amount) stating that ’should you fail to contact us, we will recommend to our client the commencement of legal action against you’.
4 Nov: DCBL have offered to put my case on hold for 14 days. What does this mean exactly? Is there anything you think I should be doing during this 'grace' period?
10 Nov: Subject Access Request made to Miele.
11 Nov: I asked DCBL whether the debt amount is negotiable. Still awaiting a response.
18 Nov: DCBL have put my case on hold until this date, after which point, they will continue with the debt recovery process
For almost four months I tried to follow the ‘correct’ procedure as explained to me by my credit card provider: contact Miele for my £109 refund after which point Amex would then reverse the £279 chargeback on my credit card and Miele would receive payment for services rendered. When I received the final invoice on 6 June from Miele I was so frustrated by how much time I had spent chasing Miele for my refund that I felt entitled to a discount on the outstanding debt of £170, to which Miele said ’no’.
Questions for LegalBeagles
I asked DCBL to explain exactly what the debt recovery process entails but have only been told that I shall receive a total of 4 letters from them. LegalBeagles, what exactly are these four letters and when will DCBL send the Letter Before Claim?
LegalBeagles, have you got any advice/ insights as to what I should do next.
For instance should I:
(1) wait for the Letter Before Claim to arrive and present my case in the hopes that the mediators will decide in my favour
(2) ask DCBL for a ‘discount’ on the outstanding debt, reducing it from £260 to £170 (which was the original amount owed)
(3) ignore DCBL’s letters and wait for Miele to take the case back and restart negotiations at that point
(4) admit defeat and pay the full outstanding amount of £170
Thank you for taking the time to review my case LB.
Dispute Timeline
7 Feb: Paid Miele £279 (using Amex) for Fixed Price Repair package
20 Feb: Miele technician came to repair my fridge/ freezer. Because technician spent 1 hour, I was entitled to a refund of £109. Technician deemed fridge/ freezer repair economically unviable and recommended purchasing a new fridge/ freezer.
20 & 22 Feb: Rang Miele's customer service number. I was informed refund would be processed in a few weeks.
22 Feb: Concerned refund would take longer than a few weeks I requested credit card chargeback (of £279) which was processed immediately. Amex customer service rep informed me that once I have received £109 credit from Miele, £279 chargeback would then be reversed, after which point Miele would be ‘paid’ for services rendered.
20 Feb - 4 June: I rang Miele a total of 10 times, spoke to 10 different customer service reps and spent over 3 hrs on the phone/ hold enquiring about my refund but no one seemed to know how to manage my request. Responses ranged from: my request has been noted in the system, my refund would take a few more weeks, someone will call me back.
6 June: Miele emails outstanding invoice of £170.
June-July: I corresponded with Miele’s Customer Service Dept requesting a discount on the outstanding invoice (as a gesture of goodwill) to which the response was ‘no’.
14 Aug: I received a final demand/ notice of default from Miele in the amount of £170.
30 Sept: I received a debt recovery notice form DCBL on behalf of Miele in the amount of £260 (£90 more than the original amount) stating that ’should you fail to contact us, we will recommend to our client the commencement of legal action against you’.
4 Nov: DCBL have offered to put my case on hold for 14 days. What does this mean exactly? Is there anything you think I should be doing during this 'grace' period?
10 Nov: Subject Access Request made to Miele.
11 Nov: I asked DCBL whether the debt amount is negotiable. Still awaiting a response.
18 Nov: DCBL have put my case on hold until this date, after which point, they will continue with the debt recovery process
For almost four months I tried to follow the ‘correct’ procedure as explained to me by my credit card provider: contact Miele for my £109 refund after which point Amex would then reverse the £279 chargeback on my credit card and Miele would receive payment for services rendered. When I received the final invoice on 6 June from Miele I was so frustrated by how much time I had spent chasing Miele for my refund that I felt entitled to a discount on the outstanding debt of £170, to which Miele said ’no’.
Questions for LegalBeagles
I asked DCBL to explain exactly what the debt recovery process entails but have only been told that I shall receive a total of 4 letters from them. LegalBeagles, what exactly are these four letters and when will DCBL send the Letter Before Claim?
LegalBeagles, have you got any advice/ insights as to what I should do next.
For instance should I:
(1) wait for the Letter Before Claim to arrive and present my case in the hopes that the mediators will decide in my favour
(2) ask DCBL for a ‘discount’ on the outstanding debt, reducing it from £260 to £170 (which was the original amount owed)
(3) ignore DCBL’s letters and wait for Miele to take the case back and restart negotiations at that point
(4) admit defeat and pay the full outstanding amount of £170
Thank you for taking the time to review my case LB.
